


New Millennium, New Rules

by roxyeisen



Category: The X-Files
Genre: Extended Scene
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-10
Updated: 2018-04-10
Packaged: 2019-04-20 21:59:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 865
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14270427
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/roxyeisen/pseuds/roxyeisen
Summary: Mulder is thinking about kissing Scully when the ball drops. But will all hell break loose?*Mulder's perspective. Companion piece to "New Year's Promise."





	New Millennium, New Rules

Seven years. How I’ve managed to avoid this woman for seven years blows my mind. Daily I ask myself if I’m insane. And I have no good answer tonight. Which is why I’m thinking about kissing Dana Scully when the ball drops and ushers in the new millennium. 

I do have reasoning for avoiding romantic entanglement, believe it or not. I have always known she deserves much better than me. And the more time I spend with her, the more harrowing, life-altering tragedies we endure together, the more convinced I am that she should find someone who is worthy of her. Who hasn’t caused the bulk of her disappointments and griefs.

But she’s still here. After seven years I haven’t been able to shake her. I have tried pushing her away, I’ve tried showing her exactly who I am, but nothing makes her up and leave like I both hope and dread.

I like to think I’m a pretty intuitive guy. I read people fairly well and I can usually guess what someone’s motivations are. And all my instincts tell me Scully not only loves me, she is IN love with me, to put it like Holman Hardt. Why? I have no clue. She knows me better than anyone, you’d think she’d be able to clearly see I’m not life partner material. But she’s still here. And she’s lovelier and smarter and more surprising every day she walks into that basement office, and it’s getting a little hard to figure out why I’m still resisting the chemistry.

So tonight is my perfect opportunity. It’s a ball drop, and it’s normal and customary to share a kiss when the ball drops. I even hear Dick Clark say “whoever that person is next to you, no time like the present” and it’s like he’s talking to me. Then midnight arrives and everyone on the screen is kissing. Why couldn’t I kiss her? I don’t think she’d reject me. The one other time I tried to kiss her she was going to let me, had the bee allowed it. 

But it’s a big step for such a trivial gesture. But it’s not that big of a deal.

I argue with myself only a second or two. When I decide I’m going to go through with it, come what may, whether I’m sure she’ll welcome it or not, I just go for it. I move in so fast she won’t have time to overthink it. And my heart races and my hands go clammy like I’m a thirteen year old boy again. She turns to look at me and she’s shocked.

Me too, Scully. Me too.

The first moment of contact I am transported to another world. The sounds of the hospital fade out and the pain in my arm disappears. I can’t think of anything except how good it feels to press my lips against Scully’s. It’s like our mouths were made for each other. How have I avoided this for seven years? This is the happiest moment of my life. 

I’m almost overwhelmed enough by the sensation to pull away quickly. After all, she won’t necessarily reject me for a peck, but I’m on dangerous ground the longer I linger.

And yet I linger. Suddenly I want her to know I’m not just looking at her as a partner and a friend these days. I want her to know that I’m up for something new if she is. I think our friendship can take it. It’s not a declaration, but it’s a question. I’m asking her what she thinks about the idea of us. An experiment, if you will. Does everything we’ve built together for seven years come crashing down around us if I linger on her lips a little too long?

Too late. I already have. I pull back, missing the sweet taste of her the moment she’s not connected to me anymore. I stare at her face, her eyes, reading what she doesn’t say. She looks at me, curious. She smiles, half-embarrassed, half-surprised. _What was that?_ Her eyes ask. _What does it mean?_

I give a little shrug around my sheepish smile. “The world didn’t end.”

I expect her to laugh at my witty double meaning, but she doesn’t. Her smile falls. "No it didn't." Is she disappointed? Does she wish I hadn’t done it? Was she hoping for something better? Does my breath smell? Did I do something wrong?

“Happy New Year, Scully.” I have to say something, and it probably shouldn’t be _I’m sorry,_ even though that’s what I’m thinking.

“Happy New Year, Mulder.” She looks down at the floor, and a new smile pulls at the corners of her mouth. Maybe she’s just embarrassed. I don’t know. I put my arm around her and rest my hand on her shoulder just to let her know I’m not sorry I did it. I’m up for more if she is. Maybe we’ll get past the obstacle of the wall I built between us for so long. Maybe we’ll figure out how to break it down completely.

Wouldn’t that be something? My stomach’s doing flips just at the thought of it.

New millennium, new rules.


End file.
